I flew commercially in Navy uniform and could not believe the response

Not that much seems to overly impress, or surprise me anymore. With 22 years of military experience, and after some time to adjust, the ships I work on look the same, sound the same, the food tastes the same; it’s just a different naval vessel. Moving every two to three years is no longer daunting, just part pain and part adventure. Being the “newbie” on a staff is a given, and after a few weeks, I find my way around the complicated ship’s maze of passageways and ladderwells, figure out how to make a meaningful impact, and get settled into a daily routine.Business as usual.But there was nothing “usual” about my flight from Seattle “Seatac” airport to San Diego on May 1, 2018. Assigned to an eight-day period at sea, I was tasked to evaluate their public affairs program, a detailed Navy assessment to grade the amphibious ready group’s communication strategy during a simulated combat scenario. The day before I was to arrive, I found out I would not be boarding USS Essex (LHD 2) until mid-day, which meant I’d be waiting around a full work day before even heading to the ship.Fortunately, the accommodating folks at the military travel office were able to adjust my flight to an early afternoon arrival, meaning I’d have to go straight from the San Diego to the Miramar Air Station, where a Marine CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter was to take me and three others out to the ship, currently floating off the coast of Southern California, having already begun the training exercise.This crunched schedule meant I’d be flying in uniform to ensure I’d save as much time as possible. While I’ve traveled on military aircraft wearing numerous uniforms, I’ve never flown commercially in one. Partially for comfort, but also because I’d been told in so many anti-terrorism briefings not to make myself a target, easily identifiable as a member of the armed forces. While I think that’s sound advice for people to keep in mind, over the years I’d see so many flying that did wear their uniform and seemed not to have a problem, so I decided to chance it for the sake of time and hope that I would land safely and ready for my next military assignment.I was not prepared for the reaction I received.It started with the young Asian man at the Alaska Airlines ticket counter where I went up to ensure my TSA pre-check (another wonderful military benefit) got entered in the system properly. He gave me a huge smile, thanked me for my service, and then proceeded to tell me about his cousin who serves in the Navy on a ship in San Diego. We had a wonderful conversation on life in the service. I walked away thinking what a nice gentleman he was and how he made me feel so valued and special.After going through security where the TSA security folks playfully teased me that the Army is so much better than the Navy, I then decide to walk over to the food court and grab a bite to eat. In the center, there was a huge coffee café with assorted pastries, sandwiches and every kind of coffee drink imaginable. I go to pay for my bran muffin, and the man at the counter looks at my uniform and asks me if I’d like a complimentary coffee. I have to first think about why he’s offering such a thing, then remember that I flew in uniform and this is just a company’s kind gesture. I politely declined but thought about what a nice policy this coffee place has for those that serve.As I’m eating my muffin and mindlessly playing skee-ball on my phone, I have two people in the span of 10 minutes seek my attention and thank me for serving. One of them tells me about his time enlisted in the Marines, and his regret in not finishing out till retirement. I get that a lot from people; they wish they had stayed in longer and my serving brings back a sense of nostalgia for that period in their lives. I felt good sharing that moment with him.It’s important to keep in mind here that in no way I was seeking this attention. I only flew in uniform because I was in a hurry to catch my second flight out to the ship and thought I would not have time to change before landing on the ship. If anything, I feel like I looked pretty unapproachable with my head buried in either my book, Kindle device or phone. That’s why this experience floored me.Once I got on the aircraft, the flight attendant from Alaska Airlines gave me these two free chocolates, offered me complimentary cocktails and would not take my credit card for the lunch that I ordered. Both attendants thanked me for my service, which always feels a bit strange as sometimes the Navy feels like just another job to me, but I always think this is an opportunity to connect with a stranger that otherwise would never approach me and begin a conversation. It’s similar to when I had my Boxer dog, Linc. People’s love for animals connected me with the outside world, as he was the bond that enabled people to talk to me, leading to very special and unique interactions. I always enjoyed people sharing their stories of having a furry family member and how that animal impacted their lives. In this instance, I was able to connect with others who served in the military, simply because wearing my uniform reminded them of their time serving, those they loved that served, or their overall perception of those who serve.It reminded me of people’s shared humanity. I think there are more commonalities in life than many realize, and more than we share with each other than our differences. A life of service or love of animals transcends culture, language, and geographical roots. It was a wonderful reminder of those loving moments, and I will certainly fly again in uniform should the need arise.Thank you to all those strangers that day, who made the experience so pleasant.